NUMB

7 - Imogen vs. Magnus - seekers obsession

!W! Use of strong language.

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"HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE!? WHAT IS YOUR STUPID DEPARTMENT DOING!? HOW IS THAT MURDER OUT OF THE BARS!? HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN!?" Imogen fumed as she threw a pen stand on the floor.

"Ma'am, I would very much appreciate it if you not trash our department. You know we can pull charges against you for it, right?" Victoria said in a controlled tone, clenching her fist behind her back.

"You could pull charges against me but can't keep a murderer inside prison!? How fucked up is your department!?"

"Commissioner Imogen, I'll ask you to mind your tongue," Victoria said, her tone stern yet calm. "As you're aware, the only witness we had has been pronounced dead due to an accident yesterday evening and fingerprint reports are yet to arrive. We currently don't have strong proof against Magnus Bane-"

"You have other witnesses, other people's statements and that's enough to keep him under bars! It's the court's job to decide his sentence, yours is to keep him inside the prison!"

"Our job is to investigate the crime," Victoria said in a flat tone, glancing at NYPD officers whose postures were slumped and face flushed into shades of red. "And for your information, which you should have been aware of, we got orders from higher authorities to not put him behind bars, at any cost.

So until we get any solid proof against Magnus Bane, we cannot do anything. Right now, he's been kept in a small confined room in the adjacent building that has tight security that'll be under our surveillance 24X7. That's all we can do while we proceed with our investigation."

"He's what!?" Imogen yelled. "That bastard! So he has power in his hands and thinks he can do anything! He killed my children! He won't walk away freely and I'll make sure of that!"

"Commissioner -"

"You want proof Miss Stewart, I'll give you the proof! I'll do everything in my power to make sure I'll see him getting hanged till death!"

"I suggest you watch what you say commissioner Imogen," Victoria raised her brow, voice monotone. "your rage can take an innocent life too."

"That son of a bitch is not innocent and I'll prove that!" With that, she stormed out of her cabin, slamming the door shut behind her.

Victoria let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her temples. "How do you all bear that motherfucking bitch!? And... who made her commissioner!?"

"Believe me, we all ask the same question." Emmanuel shook his head and leaned against the wall just when a low click caught their attention.

"Seriously Lightwood!?" Victoria crossed her arms above her chest, raising her brow as Alec took a drag, then exhaled it through the nose. "This is the FBI headquarters, not your house!"

"Your point?" Alec asked flatly as he took in a second long drag, tilted his head up, and let out circles of smoke through his mouth.

Walking in front of the desk where Alec stood, she snatched his lighter, dug into his pocket to take out the pack then took out one stick, lit it, and pressed the tip to her lip, slamming both his belongings against his chest simultaneously and leaned against the desk.

"You could've asked, you know?"

"And when have I done that?" She raised her brow, scanning the man from head to toe with whom she had a weird 'no talking only smoking' kind of relationship since college. That man had always intrigued her in some ways. "Anyway, how did Maureen's and Andrew's family take in the news?"